A Time of War
by Newsworthy92
Summary: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are off trying to find horcruxes, but what is everyone else doing? Follow Remus, Tonks, Bill, Fleur, Fred, George, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Draco as they face various struggles during a time of war.


**A Time of War**

_Chapter One_ The night was cold and unforgiving, and his cloak whipped out behind him as he appeared in the darkness. Their house was small but comfortable, and a single light was on inside as she sat waiting for him. He opened the door and she was there, her face gaunt and tired, her frame thin but for her growing stomach.

"Where were you?" Tonks asked, her wand held lazily at her side. Remus hung up his cloak and turned to face her out.

"Out," he said evasively, moving past her to climb the stairs. She followed him.

"I'm worried about you, Remus. About us. This war is taking it's toll on us all, but ever since you found out that I'm pregnant you've been distancing yourself from me," Tonks continued, joining him in the bedroom.

"I think you're reading into this too much," said Remus, but he knew she was right. Tonks knew him too well, and she could tell what he was feeling even better than he could.

"No, I'm not!" she cried. She grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. "You don't want me to be pregnant." It was a statement, not a question, but Remus felt the need to respond anyway.

"That's not true," he said quietly, but he didn't believe the words any more than she did.

"What is so wrong with us having a baby, Remus? Don't you want to start a family?" Tonks asked desperately, her eyes filling with tears.

"I don't want to start a family when we're in the middle of a war! I don't want to bring a child into a world where muggleborns are being persecuted, where we're in danger of being murdered in our beds every moment! I don't want to raise a child that could suffer the same… problems I do." Remus turned away from her, his heart racing.

Ginny landed her broom, her windswept hair coming to a standstill as she dismounted. She'd hoped flying would distract her from everything that was going on, but she'd been kidding herself. Walking back up to the castle, she found Luna waiting for her in the Entrance Hall.

"Neville said you'd gone out. Are you okay?" Luna asked. They both knew she was missing Harry desperately, and was worried for his safety.

"I'm fine," said Ginny, managing a small smile. "I am!" she insisted, when Luna gave her a skeptical look. The two made their way into the Great Hall for dinner, and parted to go to their separate house tables. Neville was waiting for Ginny, sporting a cut lip.

"What happened to you?" Ginny asked, helping herself to some mashed potato.

"The Carrows," said Neville simply, and Ginny nodded sympathetically. The new masters of discipline at Hogwarts were ruthless, unforgiving, and cruel. Death Eaters, they were aiding Snape in his takeover of the school, and were happy to resort to violent punishments for those students who talked back. Hogwarts had become a dark place since Dumbledore's death, but what else could they do? They weren't any safer at home than here, and there were teachers like McGonagall and Sprout, Flitwick and Hagrid, who still cared about them. Ginny just hoped they could stop anything _too _bad from happening. But most of all, she really hoped Harry was okay out there. She couldn't stand it if anything happened to him.

Bill was stuck at home. He could no longer go to work since the Minster for Magic's death, and didn't quite know how to busy himself at home. Fleur was always doing one task or another, and he knew she didn't mind having him around, but he felt useless. There wasn't anything he could do to help the Order; just contacting them had become more dangerous since they never knew who was watching.

"Bill? Vill you be vanting supper?" Fleur asked. He nodded, seating himself at the kitchen table. She placed the rare steak down in front of him, and he ate it hungrily.

"Any news from ze Order?" said Fleur as she ate her own dinner.

"Nothing. I know the others haven't been able to go to work either. Oh, and Tonks is pregnant!" Bill exclaimed.

"That is wonderful news!" Fleur cried. "We must send them our well wishes. Do we 'ave any of that oak matured mead left? Oh we can't send them mead, she's pregnant. There must be something around 'ere." Fleur started rummaging in the cupboards and Bill stood up, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure our well wishes will be plenty," he said with a bemused smile, kissing his wife's neck. She turned to kiss him on the lips and nestled her head against his chest. This war was hard on all of them, but at least they knew that they had each other.

George rolled over in bed, his arm around Angelina, who was sound asleep next to him. He didn't have to get up, with the shop being closed, but he felt like he had to. Disentangling himself from his sleeping girlfriend, he climbed out of bed and dressed. He found Fred downstairs in the shop, watching a Pygmy Puff waddle around its cage. Fred turned when he heard George behind him.

"I miss it. Running the shop. We always wanted to give people's lives a bit of laughter, but I suppose now with the war… jokes aren't enough," Fred finished lamely, poking the Pygmy Puff with his forefinger.

"We'll be here for them. After the war is done," said George, taking a seat next to his twin.

"And when will that be?" Fred asked. The Pygmy Puff gave up chewing on his finger, and went to pick a fight with one of his fellows.

George shrugged. "That's up to Harry, isn't it?" And that's really what it came down to. They could fight as many Death Eaters that came at them, but it was still Harry who had to defeat Voldemort. Then, and only then, could any of them find any peace.


End file.
